NEW DELHI: This sudden decision by Abhishek is being read in Bengal and Delhi as a sign of internal difference between him and Mamata, who while belonging to the same blood line, more often than not are on the same page.
The announcement of Trinamool Congress leader and Lok Sabha Member of Parliament, Abhishek Banerjee to take a ‘short hiatus’ from party’s politics has come after the TMC party president and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made appointments to key posts in the party after the 4 June Lok Sabha results.
This sudden decision by Abhishek is being read in Bengal and Delhi as a sign of internal difference between him and Mamata, who while belonging to the same blood line, more often than not are on the same page.
After Mamata was elected as parliamentary party Chairperson, she announced the appointment of Sudip Bandyopadhyay as the leader of the party in Lok Sabha, Derek O’Brien in Rajya Sabha, Dr. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar as Deputy Leader in the lower house, Kalyan Banerjee as Chief Whip in Lok Sabha , Sagarika Ghose as Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha and Nadimul Haque as Chief Whip on 8 June.
Three days later, on 12 June, Abhishek took to social media platform, ‘X”, formerly Twitter that he was taking a break from organization. “In light of some pressing medical reasons, I will be taking a short hiatus from the organisation. This time off will be an opportunity for me to humbly explore and understand the needs of our people and community. I trust that GoWB will act swiftly and leave no stone unturned to ensure justice for those in need,” Banerjee wrote
According to political observers, who closely watch the internal developments in TMC, Abhishek who won from the Diamond Harbour constituency by a margin of more than 7 lakh votes is upset with the fact that his suggestions related to the party’s organization are being ignored by Mamata.
Messages sent by The Sunday Guardian to Abhishek seeking a response on these developments went unanswered.
The appointment of Sudip Bandopadhaya at a vital position inside the Lok Sabha was something that Abhishek was not expecting given the fact that he had objected to the veteran leader even being given a Lok Sabha ticket in the first place. Abhishek, sources say, was in favour of retiring Bandopadhyaya as he was ‘unpopular’ among the cadre due to his habit of keeping distance. The veteran leader is also carrying the taint of the Sarada scam for which he had to go to prison.
Supporters of Abhishek say that he had also objected to tickets for the upcoming byelections being given to MPs who lost the general elections.
In Raiganj, turncoat Krishna Kalyani, lost the general elections, but he has been made the party candidate for the assembly by election scheduled for 10 July. Similarly, another BJP turncoat, Mukut Mani Adhikari who was the LS candidate from Ranaghat, has been given TMC ticket to contest the Ranaghat assembly by election. This was being resisted by Abhishek.
Abhishek was also against giving a ticket to Supti Pandey, the wife of deceased TMC Leader Sadhan Pandey from Maniktala constituency assembly by poll. The junior Banerjee was similarly against giving a ticket to daughter of Mamata Bala Thakur, Madhuparna Thakur for the Bagdah assembly bypolls. Mamta Bala Thakur was recently made a Rajya Sabha by the TMC. She had also unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok sabha elections from Bongaon Lok Sabha.
In wake of these developments and the message that Mamata was not giving importance to Abhishek’s opinions and suggestions percolating down in the cadre, Abhishek, sources in the party claimed, decided to keep himself away from the organization, a decision which has come at a time when the TMC won on 29 seats, seven more from what it had got in 2019 elections.
Sources said he will skip the first Parliamentary sessions after the formation of the new government and also the Budget Session scheduled in July.